


Prick

by nervouspunkboy



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Arthur Morgan's big belly laugh, Bickering, Brothers, Cowboytober, Gen, One Shot, Pre-Video Game: Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018), Young John Marston, Younger Arthur Morgan, van der Linde gang early days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:12:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27180922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nervouspunkboy/pseuds/nervouspunkboy
Summary: “You’re just afraid you’ll lose.” John smirked, Arthur could hear it in his voice.“Your horse can barely handle a steady walk, I don’t think a race would go well.”“Fine, you take your time but I will ride on ahead to the river.”And before Arthur could stop him, reach out and grab the reins, John was pushing his horse faster and down the path ahead of them.“John!” He shouted, the sound echoing in the air around him and he was met with the boy crowing, sprinting ahead of him. “Goddamnit,” he growled and pushed Bo’ onwards, trying to catch up with John. “Marston get back here!”
Comments: 1
Kudos: 29





	Prick

**Author's Note:**

> Cowboytober 2020 Day Four: Cactus
> 
> John and Arthur being dumb brothers in 1888. I hope it makes you smile!

Summer 1888 they found themselves west of the Rocky Mountains, somewhere in between the Utah and Arizona territories. It had been hot and almost unforgiving in July but Arthur had never hated the heat. Evenings always cooled off plenty in the desert, a blessing after spending all day in the blazing sun. He had little to complain about, except for the annoying mouth riding with him. 

Arthur had just wanted a moment to himself, some peace and quiet, on a calm ride with Boadicea. But as he’d been heading out John had chased after him, asking to take him along and he wasn’t fast enough to come up with a reason why not to before Hosea was telling Arthur to just take the boy. He had after all just gotten a horse and wanted some time to bond. 

The Mustang had a beautiful bay coat and Arthur wouldn’t lie, he was damn impressed John had managed to sneak him out of the stables without getting caught. Especially considering all the trouble he gave John on the way out and since then. It seemed to be a pattern, John seeming to bite off more than he could chew but still manage to not choke in the end. The horse rode fine, let John saddle him after Arthur calmed him, but there were still moments Arthur could see a wild look in his eyes. Like the horse couldn’t believe this scrawny teenager thought he had any right to be riding him. 

“You are more than welcome to ride back to camp by yourself if this is too torturous for you,” Arthur snapped and looked over his shoulder at John who was scowling at him. Complaining  _ again _ about how long this ride was taking. 

“I aint wanna go back yet,” John huffed and looked away from Arthur, looking ahead at the road. “Just didn’t think it would take a month to get where we’re going.” He mumbled and Arthur rolled his eyes. 

“I told you, I’m not heading nowhere specific or special. I  _ was _ trying to just have a quiet moment to myself.” 

Arthur kept his eyes forward, admiring the view around them. There was little tree cover along the path Arthur was taking, but cacti and various desert plants scattered almost every piece of land beside them. To the left, some of the land stretched up to the sky, steep and probably impossible to climb. He loved the desert, truly, and how the land formed. If he could, he’d spend his day putting it all down on paper. Arthur sighed and looked back at John who was still scowling a little but seemed focused on his horse. 

“How’s he handling?” Arthur asked, keeping Bo’ at a steady pace. 

“Fine, he just keeps acting frustrated and I just don’t feel like getting thrown.” 

“Maybe he’s tired of all your bitching,” Arthur sighed and smiled, too pleased with himself. John made a face Arthur. 

“I aint bitching that much.” 

“It’s certainly enough to test my patience.” 

“Tell me where we’re going then.” 

“I  _ said _ ,” 

“C’mon Arthur, are you really taking me all over nowhere in the middle of the desert?” 

“You asked to come along.” Arthur snapped and pulled Bo’ to a stop so he could properly stare at John. The mustang hesitated to stop, ears flicking back and huffing. He wasn’t all too pleased with listening to John’s commands.

“You want me to take him for a bit? See if I can get him to calm down, s’long as you promise to be good with Bo.” 

“No, I got him. I got him, plus it won’t do any good for him to listen to you but not me anyways.” John waved him off. 

Arthur shrugged, “alright then. Serious though, your pissy mood might be bothering him. They can tell that sort of thing.” He started Bo’ moving again and John got his horse moving too. The stallion bobbed his head and Arthur kept them in line so he could keep an eye on them both. Something in his gut told him this wasn’t going to end well. 

“I’m calm, just tired of whatever this is. Seriously, you got a place in mind?” 

Arthur sighed, long and hard. “Well the path we’re on now leads to run along a river before heading to town. Thinking we could stop at the river for a bit, let the horses drink before heading to town and we can drink. I certainly need one now.” 

“Want to race to the river then?” 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea John.” 

“You’re just afraid you’ll lose.” John smirked, Arthur could hear it in his voice. 

“Your horse can barely handle a steady walk, I don’t think a race would go well.” 

“Fine, you take your time but I will ride on ahead to the river.” 

And before Arthur could stop him, reach out and grab the reins, John was pushing his horse faster and down the path ahead of them. 

“John!” He shouted, the sound echoing in the air around him and he was met with the boy crowing, sprinting ahead of him. “Goddamnit,” he growled and pushed Bo’ onwards, trying to catch up with John. “Marston get back here!”

John of course didn’t listen and kept racing forward. 

Arthur saw it happen before it really happened. John’s horse started to slow, shaking his head, tail swishing and he was starting to make sounds of frustration. Arthur heard John try to calm him, tried to slow them down and the horse bucked. Arthur froze to a stop and watched as John was thrown from the Mustang’s back and into a cluster of cacti. 

The horse took off running and John was lying flat on his ass on cacti. 

Arthur  _ bellowed _ out a laugh, throwing his head back and his stomach hurt almost instantly from the way it hit him. John was swearing and shouting as he wriggled around, trying to stand up without hurting himself more and Arthur couldn’t stop laughing. It was open mouthed and it echoed and he hadn’t laughed this hard in a while. His eyes watered and his face hurt and he couldn’t stop. 

“Stop laughing Morgan!” John shouted at him, anger diminished by the whine in his voice. 

Arthur of course didn’t stop laughing, how could he? With John slumped into the dirt, cactus spines all over his back and rear, hair ruffled and pouting like a child. A dust cloud leading them in the direction of his horse. 

“Stop laughing and help me up!” John snapped again, glaring up at Arthur who stopped Bo next to him on the road.

“Oh you should see yourself right now kid,” he wheezed and rubbed at his eyes, full of tears and his sides aching. 

“Shut up,” John huffed and winced and Arthur just kept snickering. 

“That’s what you get for being such a prick!” Arthur pushed out in between laughs and he just laughed harder. 

John groaned, rolled his eyes out of his head. 

“Oh my god I hate you,” he sighed. 

Arthur sighed, trying to calm himself and slid off of Bo, holding his side as he slowly stopped laughing. 

“Nah you don’t,” he reached down and helped John up, laughing again as John almost yelped. He had spikes sticking into him all over, “oh Susan’s gonna rip you to pieces if you got any holes in your shirt.” 

“Couldn’t hurt worse than the millions of holes I’ve got in my back right now.” 

“Hush, you'll be fine, cactus butt.” He snorted to himself and John just glared at him. “Just hold still, we’ll get these off you and then we gotta go get your horse.” 

So much for a calm, quiet ride. 


End file.
